Apology
by BarnOwl500
Summary: This is a continuation of Family Matters. Enrique feels he owes someone an apology. Now he just needs to figure out how Miguel managed to get to the Land of the Dead.


Apology

One Year Later

Enrique set down the end of the table he was carrying, sighing in relief that his mama had finally decided on the best place for it. Across the table, Berto laughed at Enrique's expression, but he was wiping sweat from his own forehead, too.

"Finally!" Berto said, slightly winded.

Enrique nodded in agreement as he stretched out the knots in his back. _Mama_ was usually demanding when the setup for _Dia de los Muertos_ was going on, but this year was special. It was the first _Dia de los Muertos_ after _Mama_ Coco's passing and everything had to be perfect. It would also be the first time _Mama_ Coco's _papa_, _Papa_ Hector, would be making the journey to the Land of the Living. A lot of the family were still a little unsure what they thought of their long forgotten relative, so they tended to follow Miguel's lead whenever _Papa_ Hector came up.

Eventually, with plenty of prodding and coaxing, Miguel had finally told them some of what happened last _Dia de los Muertos_. He'd made them promise to not say anything while he was talking. His son explained that if they started interrupting him during his story, he would most likely lose his nerve and be unable to tell them the rest. He'd said that it would already be difficult enough, knowing his story was going to sound crazy, and that sometimes even he had difficulty believing it really happened.

As Miguel had begun unfolding the events of that night, Enrique had reflected it was probably a good thing Miguel had made the family promise to stay quiet. He knew he was having trouble believing it and, judging from the expressions on the other family members faces, they were as well. Except for, it seemed, _Mama_ Coco.

After a certain point, rather early in the story, once Miguel had told them about his conversation on vitamins with _Tia_ Victoria, _Mama_ Elena's expression had gone from incredulity to disbelief to wonder. Miguel noticed her change in expression and paused. He glanced at her curiously but before he'd been able to ask what he'd said wrong, Elena had burst.

"How did you know?" There was excitement coloring her voice.

"Huh?" Miguel wasn't quite sure how to answer her. Honestly, Enrique had been just as confused as Miguel.

"The vitamins," Elena said, almost impatiently, "_Hermana_ always lectured us about getting enough vitamins."

"I don't know, I just," Miguel floundered for a second, "It was a big surprise, I guess, to see that everyone who'd died before were still there. She noticed I hadn't quite believed it before so she said something about it. Vitamins were always something I thought parents told kids about to make them eat healthy. She looked, I don't know, annoyed at that?"

Elena chuckled, "Oh yes. She used to get so exasperated with us about eating right and getting enough vitamins."

"Go on, Miguel," _Papa_ Franco had said after a moment when it became obvious that Elena was lost in the wonder that her grandson actually had met her sister.

Miguel had continued, hesitantly, in case _Mama_ Elena had anything else to say, but everyone stayed silent after that. He skipped some stuff he thought was unimportant, like how the musicians had teased Hector, and glossed over others that he really didn't want his family freaking out over, like how many times he'd almost died. He'd finished to complete silence from his family. They hadn't seemed disbelieving, just unsure what to say, but the longer they were silent, the more uncomfortable Miguel felt. He started to withdraw into himself, gripping his wrist as he bit his lip uncertainly.

"You don't believe me," Miguel sighed as he slumped.

"That's not it," Luisa reassured her son, "We're just, trying to take everything in."

"It's a lot to process, _mijo_," Enrique added.

"I think he's just trying to get out of trouble," Rosa muttered with a long look at Miguel over her glasses.

"Rosa!" Carmen admonished her daughter but the girl looked unrepentant. Miguel stuck his tongue out at her.

"I'm having a little trouble myself," Berto admitted and his wife sent a glare his way, too.

"But we couldn't find him. At all," Enrique reminded Berto as he regarded his son thoughtfully.

"That's true," Berto agreed. He too turned to study Miguel.

"We searched for hours," Abel reminded them as he tried to hide a yawn. He still hadn't quite recovered from his sleepless night.

"And everyone we talked to hadn't seen anything of him after he headed to the graveyard," Luisa reminded them, "Someone else should have seen him after that, if not one of us."

"But he could have just been hiding," Rosa said as she rolled her eyes, "He's small enough he can get into places that most of us can't."

The family shifted uncomfortably at the unintentional reminder of Miguel's formerly secret hiding place. As the family continued to debate whether or not his story was true, with Elena and _Mama_ Coco voicing their opinions heavily in his favor, the more he seemed to withdraw into himself. Enrique started to worry his son was going to explode again but, to his surprise, Miguel simply stood up and leveled a determined expression at his family.

"It doesn't matter whether you believe me or not," He stated, stopping his family mid-word as they all turned to look at him. The complete contrast from earlier, when they hadn't believed him over who _Mama_ Coco's _papa_ was, surprised them, "I can prove it next _Dia de los Muertos_."

Enrique chuckled at the memory of everyone standing slack-jawed as they stared at the boy. Of course they'd asked him how, but he'd stayed firmly tight-lipped on the subject. That wasn't the end of the matter. They'd tried many other times to get him to tell them but for that particular moment, they thought it best not to push him.

Still, while the validity of Miguel's story may have been in question in the beginning, whether or not _Papa_ Hector was actually the writer of Ernesto De la Cruz's songs was not. They all agreed very early on that this little mistake of history was going to be rectified. Soon.

"Just like, _Papa_," _Mama_ Coco had murmured as she gazed fondly at her great-grandson, "He would stand just like that whenever he and _Mama_ got into a discussion."

This prompted another round of stories. Stories they were all quite happy and willing to sit and listen to. They'd also made sure to apologize to Miguel as soon as possible. The boy had just shrugged, saying he'd been out of line, too. And that had been the end of it.

The lights coming on above Enrique's head caused him to start and he looked up in surprise. He hadn't realized exactly how long he'd been standing there thinking over the past.

"What has you so deep in thought?" Asked his wife as she sidled up to him and put her arm through his, "Several of us have been trying to get your attention for awhile."

"Oh, this and that."

He shared a smile with his wife.

"Are you nervous?" She asked quietly.

Neither of them had really discussed Enrique's plan at length. There were a whole host of reasons why but the one they used was that they didn't want _Mama_ Elena to find out what they were planning. Really they just wanted to see if what Miguel had said was true. The boy believed it but they wanted tangible proof.

"If it doesn't work, I'll just be standing there looking foolish. If it does...well, I owe _Mama_ Imelda and _Papa_ Hector an apology. Especially, _Mama_ Imelda," He said with a shrug, "And I think it would be better if I did it face-to-face instead of just standing awkwardly at the ofrenda talking to air."

"Well, if what Miguel told you is true, you'll be able to do just that," Luisa replied with a thoughtful nod.

"Well let's go," Enrique said after a moment, "We still need to finish setting up."

Luisa hummed in agreement as they went to help Elena bring out the mountains of food. She'd, of course, included all of _Mama_ Coco's favorites, along with everyone else's, but she'd also added in some other stuff because none of them knew exactly what _Papa_ Hector's favorites were. _Mama_ Coco hadn't remembered anything in particular, he'd always eaten whatever her mama fixed with gusto. Though Miguel secretly intended to rectify that oversight tonight.

Slowly, the _Dia de los Muertos_ celebrations began, the family listening as music and laughter began all around them. Soon, they would have music, too. Miguel took a moment to stand outside the gate, looking down the path as he imagined the setting sun making the petals glow. He imagined seeing his dead family members crossing the bridge and walking up the path to join in their celebrations.

Miguel smiled softly, before turning to go back inside and prepare for his performance later that night. Little did he know that the rest of his family were right on his heels. They had been walking up to the house and were surprised to see the boy standing there, as if he were waiting on them. For a moment, Hector felt his nonexistent heart leap, thinking that Miguel could actually see them. But he sighed as Miguel walked back inside without acknowledging them.

"Ah," Hector sighed, "I suppose it was too much to hope that he would be able to see us."

"It's alright, _Papa_," Coco said with a squeeze to his hand as she went by, "I thought he could see us, too."

"It did seem like he was looking straight at us," Imelda agreed, hand on her hip as she gazed thoughtfully after Miguel.

"I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he cursed himself again-"

"-Just to be able to see all of us."

The twins made their remarks as they disappeared through the gate after Coco; Julio and Rosita just behind them nodding in agreement. Imelda and Hector weren't far behind, both just as eager to see their family. They all exclaimed over the decorations and food, as they did every year, surprised at the amount of food Elena had fixed this time. They all glanced at _Papa_ Hector in understanding. Elena had been trying her best to include him and she would have been highly gratified to know that she had managed to include several of his favorites.

Later that night, after Miguel had performed, to much applause from the living and the dead, and everyone was settled in with their plates, Enrique decided to put his plan into action. With everyone distracted, it was unlikely anyone would notice him missing for a little while. Slowly, Enrique began to walk the edge of the courtyard, muttering under his breath so hopefully only the dead would hear him.

"_Mama_ Imelda? _Papa_ Hector?" He called as he slowly went along, "I need to speak to you, _Mama_ Imelda. _Papa_ Hector?"

He continued his muttered litany all the way around to the _ofrenda_ room. Hopefully, if _Mama_ Imelda and _Papa_ Hector didn't hear him themselves, one of the other family members would and let the other two know. That was the plan anyway.

As it happened, Enrique had been standing right next to Imelda and Hector when he'd first started calling for them. The two had been standing off to the side, this being the best spot to see the entire courtyard, as Imelda pointed out everyone and explained to Hector who they were. It had surprised them to hear Enrique call for them as if he were speaking directly to them, as if he could see them. Now they were following him curiously around the courtyard as he slowly made his way towards the _ofrenda_ room.

"What in the world could he possibly want to talk to us about," Hector asked his wife, confusion written all over his face.

"I don't know," Imelda replied.

Her eyes narrowed in speculation before sliding to her great-great grandson as he slipped away from everyone else to follow his papa. A quick glance Hector's way confirmed that he hadn't noticed anything. However, years of looking after this family clued her in that something was up.

"I'm sure we'll find out soon."

And she left it at that.

The other members of the dead family hadn't noticed anything amiss either, laughing and basking in the presence of their living relatives. All except one, anyway.

Ever since Coco had passed on and been reunited with her parents, she'd made it a point to know where her _papa_ and, by extension, her _mama_, were at all times. It wasn't a conscious thing. She never once realized she was doing it, but her husband did. His wife had a rather large case of separation anxiety when it came to her _papa_. Honestly though, Julio couldn't exactly blame her. After how her _papa_ had been ripped from her life, Julio supposed it would be a little strange if she didn't.

Regardless, as her _papa_ and _mama_ exchanged curious looks after her grandson passed them and then proceeded to follow him, her interest was piqued. Coco watched her parents enter the _ofrenda_ room after Enrique, then made her way over to stand outside so she could see what was going on. Like her mama, she'd also noticed Miguel's sneaky departure from the rest of the family. So Coco figured that, whatever was about to happen, would prove to be interesting.

As Hector and Imelda stepped into the _ofrenda_ room, they both glanced around approvingly at the obvious care that was taken of it. Hector especially since it was his first _Dia de los Muertos_ crossing the bridge.

After a moment though, both their attentions were drawn to where Enrique was standing in front of the _ofrenda_. The man seemed tense as he stood there staring at the picture of Hector and Imelda. Imelda herself started to feel a little worried since she'd never seen Enrique act like this. Hector was just curious. After another moment, the younger man took a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing, as did Imelda's worry, then he started to speak.

"_Mama_ Imelda?" He asked quietly. After a moment he added, "_Papa_ Hector?"

Only silence answered him but Imelda was slightly distracted at Hector's excited chatter.

"He called me _'papa_!'" Hector said tearfully.

"Yes, I heard him," Imelda replied, a muttered _'idiota'_ was added on but she was secretly pleased. This went on for several seconds, Hector's excitement unable to be contained. Imelda just smiled as she listened to him.

Standing in the hallway off to the side of the ofrenda room, Miguel watched his _papa_ quietly as the man spoke to the pictures in front of him. Miguel had no idea why _Papa_ wanted to speak to _Mama_ Imelda and _Papa_ Hector but he was curious. A few days before, Enrique had taken him aside and asked him how he'd managed to get to the Land of the Dead. The two had exchanged a long look before Miguel finally explained what had caused him to be cursed. Enrique had nodded thoughtfully, thanked him for his honesty, and went back to work while Miguel headed to school. Neither brought it up again, and he hadn't asked why his _papa_ wanted to know, but Miguel had his suspicions.

"I-," Enrique paused a moment, unsure how to say what he needed to. Finally, he quietly, hesitantly, continued, "I owe both of you an apology. Especially _Mama_ Imelda."

Everyone's attention was now firmly fixed on Enrique as he studied the _ofrenda_. Enrique then resolutely reached out and plucked one of the hair ribbons gifted to Mama Imelda from the ofrenda.

Several things happened at once. To Miguel, it seemed like his _papa_ vanished into thin air. It hadn't really shocked him when his _papa_ took the ribbon, the one Miguel could see now laying on the floor, but it had surprised him a little. He hadn't really thought _Papa_ would curse himself like that. Still, he wanted so badly to follow Enrique's example but he held himself back. It was obvious his _papa_ needed to talk to his great-great grandparents, so he sat down to wait. At least until he thought it had been long enough and then he was going to make it a point to say 'hello' to his dead relatives as well.

Coco stared in shock as Enrique took the ribbon from the _ofrenda_. However, she gasped as her grandson suddenly became transparent and began to glow that same orange glow as the rest of them. She hadn't expected Enrique to do something like that at all.

Inside the room was a little more hectic.

Imelda barely managed a "Don't you dare!" while Hector could only say "_Mijo_! No!" before Enrique began to glow before them, the hair ribbon gently fluttering toward the ground.

To Enrique, it suddenly became very loud as he became aware of two voices yelling behind him. One was female and sounded rather irate, while the other was male, equal parts scolding him while also trying to get the female to calm down. _Mama_ Imelda and _Papa_ Hector. He sheepishly turned to face them, fully expecting a tongue lashing from _Mama_ Imelda.

"That was stupid, _mijo_," Imelda ranted angrily, one hand on her hip and the other pointed directly at Enrique.

He didn't remember his great-grandmother, she had already died by the time Enrique was born, but he'd heard plenty of stories and it seemed she was about to live up to every single one.

"We had enough trouble last year keeping Miguel out of trouble!" She continued, just getting warmed up, "And speaking of Miguel, I would have expected something like this from him! Miguel I could understand doing something reckless like this! I was half expecting it already! But I did not expect something like this from you!"

"Imelda that seems a little harsh," Hector said in defense of his great-great grandson, "It's not like Miguel intended to curse himself last year. Which, you have to admit, turned out to be a good thing for all of us."

Imelda leveled a flat look at her husband, "I never said it didn't but you can't tell me you don't expect him to try something exactly like this at some point tonight."

"Now I never said that," Hector replied in mock indignation as he faked a blow to his heart, "I just think our great-grandson seems to have thought this out a little more than Miguel did. So perhaps probably not quite so reckless?"

The last word ticked up, making it more of a question rather than a statement. Imelda rolled her eyes again but there was a slight smile on her lips.

"Hmph," She snorted as she glanced at Enrique where he stood watching the two of them. There was a slightly perplexed look on his face as he watched the two interact.

Since she'd died before he was born, Enrique could only base his perception of _Mama_ Imelda around the stories told by those who'd known her. _Papa_ Hector he didn't really know anything about besides _Mama_ Coco's memories of him from her childhood since Miguel hadn't really been very forthcoming about his impressions of their dead family members. Or maybe it was because they hadn't really asked.

Regardless, the people he'd been expecting to meet were vastly different from the people standing in front of him now.

For one, while Miguel had described the denizens of the Land of the Dead as being skeletons, Enrique hadn't thought he actually meant literally; so the two walking, talking skeletons in front of him had thrown him off guard. But now he was eagerly taking in the colorful facial markings on Imelda and Hector's skulls as the two bantered back and forth.

For another, Enrique had expected _Mama_ Imelda to be much sterner and more rigid than she was now. The stories he'd heard, and her picture on the _ofrenda_, simply didn't match the slightly abrasive, clearly playful, but dignified woman in front of him. She certainly had a biting wit, which she seemed to bestow liberally, but there was a softness to her he hadn't been expecting.

Next, he turned to study _Papa_ Hector. He watched the man goofily joke with his wife, cajoling out smiles and eye rolls in abundance from the woman. The longer Enrique watched the pair interact, the more one thing became painfully, obviously clear: _Mama_ Imelda was _Papa_ Hector's entire world. She was the very air he breathed ('_Did skeletons even need to breath?_' Enrique wondered idly.) and his reason for existing. No man who looked at _Mama_ Imelda the way that _Papa_ Hector did would ever willingly leave his family.

Miguel had never really said exactly what happened to _Papa_ Hector, glossing over the more intimate details in his rush to continue the story. Or perhaps he'd simply been trying to spare _Mama_ Coco. All Miguel had told them was that _Papa_ Hector had died on his way home. Now Enrique started to wonder what else this Ernesto de la Cruz had done besides steal _Papa_ Hector's guitar and songs.

Oh.

Enlightenment hit like a thunderbolt to the chest. _Papa_ Hector hadn't _died_ on his _way_ home. He'd been _murdered_ trying to _come_ home. Enrique felt a little sick as the new knowledge sunk in. He was going to have to have a talk with Miguel the first chance he got.

Shaking his dark thoughts away, Enrique watched his great-grandparents interact for a moment longer, before bringing the conversation back to why he'd cursed himself in the first place.

"_Mama_ Imelda?"

Imelda stopped mid-word, surprise clear on her face as she was reminded Enrique was still there. From Hector's expression, he'd forgotten, too. She felt a little embarrassed that, once again, she and Hector had gotten lost in their own little world, playfully bantering and teasing each other as they acted like they had when they were first married.

It tended to happen quite frequently but their family members in the Land of the Dead had gotten used to it for the most part. Though, Felipe and Oscar tended to tease them gleefully about it any chance they could. They said they'd been denied the opportunity to do it while alive so they had years to make up for now that they were dead and all together again.

Imelda hadn't really been able to say anything in response, too happy to have Hector back to really be annoyed with them. Hector had simply shrugged at them, telling them they could tease him and Imelda all they wanted, but they were just going to have to deal with the pair kissing all the time. He had then pulled her in and proceeded to make good on his word, her brothers' mock cries of disgust fading into the background. When they'd come up for air, they'd been alone as the rest of the family had vacated the room along with the twins.

Still, that didn't excuse the pair now and they both turned to sheepishly look at Enrique. Imelda a little less so than Hector. She still had a reputation to uphold,after all. Badly damaged as it was.

"Si?" Imelda asked, embarrassment coloring her tone slightly. She knew all dignity had been lost with the dead members of her family but she'd hoped to keep at least a little with the living ones.

Well that had gone out the proverbial window.

"Like I said before, I owe you both an apology."

"How's that, _mijo_?"

Imelda and Hector looked confused now. Or what he thought was confusion. It was hard to tell on a skeleton. Imelda crossed her arms and tilted her head at him as she waited for him to continue. A glance at Hector showed he'd taken a step back, gripping his arm in a very familiar way, his expression closed off as he looked between Enrique and Imelda. Something told Enrique that Hector still wasn't quite comfortable in his role as family patriarch.

"Last _Dia de los Muertos_," Enrique began, noting in passing how both the skeletons in front of him stiffened, "when Miguel went missing, we searched everywhere trying to find him. The cenote. The cemetery. Every street in town. _Papa_ even sat in the plaza all night just in case Miguel came back there. Nothing."

"_Lo siento, mijo_," Imelda said quietly, glancing to where Hector was standing, "I tried to send him back immediately but…"

She didn't know what she could possibly say to her grandson that would erase the worry and fear from that night. Imelda couldn't regret it though. Miguel's presence had ensured the return of her husband to their family. While she wouldn't wish such a night on anyone, Imelda didn't regret that they weren't able to send him home so soon.

"That was my fault," Hector spoke up quietly from behind Imelda. She turned in surprise but he just shrugged at her. The two held a silent conversation, the kind only two people truly in tune with each other could have, before Imelda stepped to Hector's side and took his hand, "I didn't push, probably as hard as I should have, to figure out if he really did have any other family who could send him home."

"And it probably should have clued me in that he was running from someone when he made such a panicked, hasty retreat from Marigold Station. But I'd just received undeniable confirmation that if I didn't have a photo on an ofrenda, I was never going to be able to cross the bridge back to the Living World. It's no excuse, but it was all I could really think about for most of the night. Especially as the little _chamaco_ and I grew closer, it started to become more about getting him home as fast as possible, both for my sake and his. Still, that doesn't mean that I couldn't have pushed harder."

"And I can't regret that I got to spend the entire night with him. I am sorry for the worry you experienced but I can't regret being able to spend that time with my great-great grandson."

Enrique listened to the apology Hector gave him, finally beginning to see what kind of man Hector had been all along. Miguel had told them that all Hector had done for the last ninety-six years, was try to get across the marigold bridge to see his family. Enrique could also tell that Hector wasn't apologizing for attempting to use Miguel for his own ends. Honestly, if Enrique had been in his position, he would have done the same thing. He knew there was nothing in this world that would or could keep him from trying to get back to Luisa and his two beautiful children.

No.

What Hector was apologizing for was not noticing all the clues pointing to the fact that Miguel did have other family. He was apologizing for being blind to the truth. However, Enrique also knew that Hector had been willing to do whatever it took to get Miguel home. Even if it meant the man would never get to cross the bridge. Enrique was grateful that that's the kind of man Hector is. He may have insisted for Miguel to take the photo home with him, but Miguel's safety had always come first.

The two men stood tall, gazing at each other as the understanding of what it truly meant to be a father passed between them.

"My son is a Rivera," Enrique began, "And we Riveras are stubborn to a fault. He was going to do whatever he needed to to get what it was he thought he wanted. There was nothing either of you could have done at that point to change his mind. He was going to have to learn for himself what it was that was truly important."

Enrique fell silent, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

"I think," He said slowly, "That all of this was for the best. They say things happen for a reason, and maybe it's not just a corny saying people use to try to make themselves feel better. Perhaps someone was trying to fix what had been broken in our family."

"Perhaps they were," Imelda agreed softly. She stepped up to Enrique and took his hands in hers, "But that doesn't mean we don't owe you an apology just the same."

"I've heard your apology and I accept it," Enrique said firmly, his expression determined. Then he smiled a lopsided half smile that Imelda recognized from Miguel… and Hector, "Now please listen to mine. After all, this is why I cursed myself."

"_Ay_, _Dios Mio_," Imelda said as Hector laughed behind her, "Fine! Why do you feel that you owe us an apology?"

"Because I wasn't fair to you or _Papa_ Hector."

"Que?"

"Come again?"

Enrique sighed, taking one of his hands back and running it through his hair as he gathered his thoughts.

"While I was searching for Miguel and it got later and I became more and more worried, I wasn't exactly thinking rationally. I started blaming anyone and everyone, including myself, for Miguel disappearing. But I placed most of the blame on the two of you. Especially you, _Mama_ Imelda."

Imelda looked as if Enrique had slapped her, a look reminiscent of the expression that had been on his _Mama's_ face when Miguel had told her he didn't care if he was on their _ofrenda_. His grandmother stepped away from him, right into _Papa_ Hector's arms as he stepped forward to support her. Hector knew this was something Imelda had been struggling with over the past year, ever since learning the truth about what had happened to him.

Hector had tried over and over again to reassure his wife that he didn't blame Imelda for being angry with him. For having such a natural reaction to his seeming desertion. But Hector knew she didn't believe him. Or maybe it was just that she couldn't forgive herself. Perhaps hearing the same words he'd been saying from Enrique would help her to finally be able to heal.

"I thought that if _Papa_ Hector had never left, then _Mama_ Imelda would never have made the rules that she did. Rules that the family followed blindly for nearly a hundred years. Rules that _Mama_ seemed to value more than her own family. Rules that caused my son to run away."

Some of the old frustration and resentment started to creep in but Enrique ruthlessly squashed them down. That was all over; there was no need to let it affect him anymore.

"We weren't blameless in the entire situation, mind you. There were definitely better ways we could have handled the situation but I still blamed the two of you the most. And I placed most of the blame on _Mama_ Imelda because I felt that she could have reacted differently to _Papa_ Hector never coming back."

"I didn't start thinking about how I would have reacted in her situation until much later and I realized that the way she reacted was actually really logical. Music had been one of the big things in your relationship, the biggest thing besides _Mama_ Coco that reminded her of you, so she got rid of it. I don't know that I would have reacted that well."

With every word he spoke, Imelda looked closer and closer to tears. Something she tried to never do in front of anyone if she could help it. Except for Hector.

Outside, Coco could hardly stay where she was. It was hard to hear all of this directed at her _Mama_ when she knew she wasn't entirely blameless either. Coco could have fought harder to keep her _Papa's_ memory alive but she didn't. It was a guilt she'd been carrying with her ever since she'd died and learned what being forgotten truly meant.

Coco knew she had no good excuse for why she hadn't, except that she hadn't wanted to make her _Mama_ cry any more than she already had. Later it had become a habit and her daughter, Elena, was just as strong willed as Imelda had ever been. It just seemed easier to let the family go on as they had. Now she wished she actually had done something more.

Inside the room, Hector did everything he could to help support Imelda, even as he felt like apologizing again himself. He had always felt that most of the blame was his but he was beginning to see that a lot of the family didn't share his opinion. Yes he'd left, but it wasn't his fault that he never came back. However, it was looking like Imelda's reaction to his seeming desertion was what had hurt the family the most.

Hector knew that Imelda had simply done what she needed to survive. It was her way of coping with his loss. But the rest of the family didn't understand that. They didn't know Imelda like he did. They were reacting to the result, not the cause.

"I'm so sorry, _mijo_," Imelda apologized thickly, "I know I could have reacted differently. Looking back, there were so many red flags telling me that something was wrong but I just couldn't see them."

"It's alright, _Mama_ Imelda," Enrique said softly. It was his turn to take her hands now, "As I said, I'm apologizing for having thought so poorly of you. After Miguel came back and I had time to think, and talk to Luisa, I began to understand why you did what you did. Then I started to feel incredibly ashamed."

"And I wanted to let you know that none of us blame you, least of all Miguel. We all understand the importance of family. We understand that all you were ever trying to do was protect your family. Perhaps not in the best way but we can't fault you for that. After all, it's human nature to avoid what causes you pain."

Enrique smiled at his great grandparents, feeling suddenly shy and unsure. Imelda was looking at him as if he had just taken the weight of the world off her shoulders. Hector noticed her relaxing and he shot a gratitude filled look at Enrique.

"_Mijo_, you're such a good child," A voice said from the door to the _ofrenda_ room, "You've grown up to be a wonderful man."

Coco stepped into the room, ignoring the surprised looks as she walked up to Enrique and took one of his hands.

"Thank you," She said as she squeezed his hand.

There was a lot that wasn't said but it didn't need to be. It was all in those two words. Coco reached forward to grab Enrique in a hug. After a moment, she felt her parents arms encircling them, too. They all stood there for a moment, basking in the warmth before it was shattered by a not entirely unexpected person.

"So can I get in on this?" Miguel asked, the same hair ribbon held in his hand that Enrique had taken earlier.

"Miguel!"

"_Ay, chamaco_."

"_Miguelito_."

"Miguel."

The boy smiled, completely unrepentant as he carefully set the ribbon back in its spot on the _ofrenda_. A grin stretched his face as he turned back to his family members. They all had varying degrees of exasperation on their faces, though Miguel could tell that Hector was trying not to smile.

"Well?" Miguel asked hopefully as he shuffled from foot to foot.

Imelda rolled her eyes but smiled and opened her arms anyway.

"Come here, _mijo_."

Miguel whooped as he ran toward Imelda and threw himself in her arms. Soon he was the center of the group hug and he couldn't be happier.

"So can we do this every _Dia de los Muertos_?" He asked after a moment.

"No!"

"Nada, Miguel."

"Better not, mijo."

"Sure, _chamaco_."

Miguel laughed as everyone else leveled a glare at an entirely unrepentant Hector but he could tell they weren't really serious.

"Thanks, _Papa_ Hector!"


End file.
